Leilani Münter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry

       

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Made By:
Lionel
Scale:
1/24
MSRP:
$52.99
Overview:
Packaging (Design):10/10
Packaging (Durability):10/10
Casting (Body):9/10
Casting (Interior):8/10
Casting (Chassis):7/10
Casting (Engine):8/10
Paint (Exterior):10/10
Paint (Interior):8/10
Paint (Trim/Graphics):10/10
Overall Panel Fit:9/10
Total Score:8.9/10

 
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Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry
Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry Packaging Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry roof detail Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry interior Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry engine Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry wheel detail Lionel Leilani Munter #20 VeganStrong.com 2018 Toyota Camry rear

 
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Background

Venturini Motorsports has a history of racing success that spans more than 30 years. In February 2018 at Daytona International Speedway, the team’s winning legacy continues as their drivers swept the ARCA Series Season opener.

 

Packaging

Lionel modified their window box in 2018, dropping the styrofoam insert to provide a cleaner look and greener footprint. The new box still has the slim corner window to show off the front left corner of the car, with the rest of the box done in black and gray with checkerboard flag and crosshatched texture backgrounds. "Lionel Racing/The Official Die-Cast of NASCAR" is printed in the black band under the window, and the right side has a sticker showing a full 3/4 view of the car above another sticker reading "Standard Finish." The classic silver sticker with the driver and car info, release, and serial number are on the end flap that continues the window, just above another "Standard Finish" sticker and to the left of a Venturini Motorsports logo. The opposite end is a reproduction of the vintage ARC packaging, with the two-digit year the replica was issued (18), Action "A" logo and "Action Racing Collectibles/Still the choice of champions" text, and QR code sticker. The top and back repeat all of the logos, plus include the car number and website info. The bottom panel has the legal boilerplate and barcode. Opening the flap behind the car allows you to slide out a plastic tray with a clear plastic cover. The car is held in place with a pair of standard Phillips head screws, and the garage flyer is stuck in the box.

 

Casting/Paint

Despite being the same make and model as Hailie Deegan's 2019 car, and having the same silhouette, this is a very different tooling in many respects. The first and most obvious change is that only the hood is a separate piece here: the roof flaps and trunk are cast as part of the main body. But the simpler casting doesn't mean they cheaped out: everything is very well done, with a slick finish and nice tight gaps around the hood. The clean work even includes difficult places like the compound curves of the front end or the shoulder/arch flare transition on the rear quarter panels. The windshield, side windows, rear window, and window/trunk rail are clear plastic with sharply printed edge, brace, and fastener detail.

What you find under the hood is the same as before, a plate with the radiator hose, valve covers, intake manifold, and belt assembly cast as one piece. The wires look better here thanks to an additional paint app, but that's about the only improvement. The chassis is a definite downgrade, now being made from three pieces, all plastic: the front splitter, exhaust pipes, and everything else. The front brace, exhausts, some of the steering linkage, and most of the lower control arms have been painted black, and the engine and suspension are painted silver. It's really not a great effort, especially compared to the aforementioned Deegan car with its fully detailed rear half and working suspension. Best consider this a curbside and ignore the chassis.

Things improve quite a bit inside, which has a complete light gray roll cage with a separate shifter, seat, cloth window net, air ducts, and fire suppression system. The updated dashboard has a raised instrument panel with a sticker for the gauge cluster and painted details around the bias dial. The fire suppression and fuel lines are painted red, and the air ducts and dash are black. While a little more paint would have been nice, the cast-in details are all there and look good.

All that said, the paint is where Lionel clearly spent their money. The base green is bright and vibrant, fading from darker green on the sides/bumpers to an almost glowing green for the hood, roof, and trunk. The fade is about as perfect as one could hope for, with a smooth and even transition and finished in a high gloss clear. The contingency sponsors are excellent, with sharp edges and perfect registration. A subtle metallic effect has been used on the numbers, giving them a polished look that really pops. It's really excellent work all around.

 

Features/Accessories

The hood opens, with nice tight hinges that hold any position with no problem, and the front wheels can be posed.

 

Accuracy

As expected, all the details appear to be correct and scaling is a good 1/24.

 

Overall

This is a bit of a stealth car, looking in most photographs like a plain green body with a few decals - not so different from a classic NASCAR racer. But the fade, the gloss finish, and teh sharply printed details elevate this to a true collectible. It's excellent work all around.

 

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